San José Spotlight receives prestigious honor from Santa Clara County

The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors has honored San José Spotlight for its unwavering commitment to delivering accurate and essential information on issues impacting county residents.

At a ceremony held on Monday, Supervisor Otto Lee presented the commendation, highlighting the news organization’s role in fostering transparency, civic engagement, and empowering residents. This recognition celebrates San José Spotlight’s achievements over the past five years since its founding in 2019, including its extensive coverage of homelessness, in-depth reporting on efforts to keep the Regional Medical Center open, a potential strike by San Jose city workers demanding higher wages, and the 2021 VTA mass shooting.

Lee praised San José Spotlight for its contributions to democracy in the county, noting the organization’s dedication to covering the community with integrity. He emphasized that the commendation reflects the Board's appreciation for entities that make a meaningful impact on residents.

“San José Spotlight has been a beacon of accountability and change, amplifying marginalized voices and holding power to account through its vigilant and steadfast reporting,” Lee remarked during the meeting.

This commendation adds to San José Spotlight’s accolades, including the James Madison Award for its successful lawsuit against San Jose and former Mayor Sam Liccardo, who is now running for Congress, for breaching state transparency laws and improperly withholding public records. The organization also secured four first-place awards this year at the California Journalism Awards for its coverage of significant stories, such as drug smuggling charges against a San Jose police union office manager and the impact of the Silicon Valley Bank collapse on local businesses and nonprofits.

San José Spotlight’s editor, Moryt Milo, reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to fearless journalism that challenges the status quo and highlights crucial community issues.

“Our mission is to provide coverage that matters, to tell the untold stories, and to reinvigorate community engagement,” Milo stated at the meeting. “We believe that local journalism is a fundamental pillar of democracy, and we are dedicated to upholding this principle every day.”

San José Spotlight is the region’s first nonprofit newsroom, serving San Jose, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, the West Valley, and the county.

For more information about supporting San José Spotlight and learning more about their work, visit SanJoseSpotlight.com. 

Contact Annalise Freimarck at [email protected] or follow @annalise_ellen on X (formerly Twitter).